ANDY Flintoff and James Anderson are included in the list of England players released for county cricket duty in the run up to the first international games of the summer.

Flintoff has been cleared by England to make his comeback as a batsman after returning from South Africa to have an ankle operation, and he will be joined by pace bowler Anderson in the Lancashire side.

Cricket Manager Mike Watkinson said: "Freddie will start playing just as a batsman and then gradually build up to bowling a few overs.

"But when he bowls, and how much, will be up to him."

When Flintoff returns to international cricket is not certain, but the aim must be to have him fully fit and ready for the first Test against Australia which starts on 21 July at Lord's.

The news on Flintoff and Anderson are just two of the decisions England coach Duncan Fletcher has made regarding the availability of England's contracted players for domestic cricket ahead of the 1st npower Test Match against Bangladesh starting on May 26 at Lords.

Most of England's high profile players have been released for some domestic action including captain Michael Vaughan, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Marcus Trescothick.